Prevention: HPV Vaccine Shows Reduced Recurrence

A new study suggests that the vaccine against human papillomavirus can significantly cut the likelihood of virus-related disease even among women who have had surgery for cervical cancer caused by HPV.

Using data from a large randomized efficacy trial of the HPV vaccine, the researchers selected a group of 1,350 women 15 to 26 years old who had undergone cervical surgery. Some 587 previously had received the HPV vaccine and 763 a placebo shot.

The lead author, Dr. Elmar A. Joura, an associate professor of gynecology at the Medical University of Vienna, said that many people believe that the vaccination is useful only in sexually naïve girls, and indeed it is most effective in that group.

But women who have had an HPV-related infection are at high risk for recurrence, and Dr. Joura believes it is important to vaccinate them as well: “Regardless of your age or your history, a vaccination can prevent new disease.”

The study was published March 27 in the journal BMJ.

A version of this article appears in print on April 3, 2012, on page D6 of the New York edition with the headline: Prevention: HPV Vaccine Shows Reduced Recurrence. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe